Researcher from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur visits the PCP-PIRE in Gainesville

Gerardo González Barba is the curator in chief of the Natural History Museum at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur in La Paz, Mexico. Gerardo collaborates with the PCP PIRE in the study of batoids (rays, skates and sawfish, among others.)

Gerardo visited the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from January 16-26 to continue the study of batoids with both macro and micro teeth from the Middle Miocene Gatun Formation.

“My relationship with the Panama project started at the 7th Latin American Congress of Paleontology in La Plata, Argentina in 2010, when I met Carlos Jaramillo who invited me to collaborate on the project. I traveled at the beginning of last year to Panama City where I met Catalina Pimiento, Austin Hendy and the rest of the Carlos’ wonderful team, and I started working with the project with the Lower Miocene Culebra Formation.”

Gerardo’s academic background includes a bachelors in Oceanic Geology from the Marine Sciences Department at Ensenada, Baja California, and a masters and PhD from the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Sciences (CICIMAR-IPN). Gerardo has been working at the museum in Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur for more than 20 years. This museum includes zoology, archeo-zoology and paleontology collections. Currently the museum participates in the Scientific Collections National Program for CONABIO (National commission for the knowledge and use of biodiversity).

“I warmly thank the opportunity provided by Dr. Bruce MacFadden and I feel very happy and motivated to get to know the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. My best wishes and encouragement for the cosmopolitan students, faculty, researchers and all the staff working at this wonderful university.”